Editor: Richard (Dick) Innes
Published by: ACTS International
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Vol. 11 – No. 4509 November 07, 2009
Thought for the week: "Measure your wealth not by the things you have, but by the things you have for which you would not take money." – Author Unknown
"We need to learn to set our course by the stars, not by the lights of every passing ship." – General Omar N. Bradley
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." – Robert Frost
"One's dignity may be assaulted, vandalized and cruelly mocked, but it cannot be taken away unless it is surrendered." – Michael J. Fox
"There is no point at which you can say, 'Well, I'm successful now. I might as well take a nap." – Carrie Fisher
"I can feel guilty about the past, apprehensive about the future, but only in the present can I act. The ability to be in the present moment is a major component of mental wellness." – Abraham Maslow
"Only passions, great passions, can elevate the soul to great things." – Denis Diderot
A young boy enters a barber shop and the barber whispers to his customer, "This kid is not so bright. Watch while I prove it to you."
The barber puts a dollar bill in one hand and two quarters in the other, then calls the boy over and asks, "Which do you want, son?"
The boy takes the quarters and leaves the dollar.
"What did I tell you?" said the barber. "That kid never learns!"
Later, when the customer leaves, he sees the same young boy coming out of the ice cream store and says, "Hey, son! May I ask you a question? Why did you take the quarters instead of the dollar bill?"
The boy licked his cone and replied, "Because the day I take the dollar, the game's over!"
What you need to know about the past is that no matter what happened, it has all worked together to bring you to this moment. And this is the moment you can choose to make everything new.
The story is told how Mary and her husband Jim had a dog named "Lucky". Lucky was a real character. Whenever Mary and Jim had company come for a weekend visit, they would warn their friends to not leave their luggage open because Lucky would help himself to whatever struck his fancy. Inevitably, someone would forget and something would come up missing.
Mary or Jim would go to Lucky's toy box in the basement and there the treasure would be, amid all of Lucky's other favorite toys.
It happened that Mary found out she had breast cancer. Something told her she was going to die of this disease ... in fact; she was just sure it was fatal.
She scheduled the double mastectomy, fear riding her shoulders. The night before she was to go to the hospital, she cuddled with Lucky. A thought struck her, what would happen to Lucky? Although the three-year-old dog liked Jim, he was Mary's dog through and through. If I die, Lucky will be abandoned, Mary thought. He won't understand that I didn't want to leave him! The thought made her sadder than thinking of her own death.
The double mastectomy was harder on Mary than her doctors had anticipated and Mary was hospitalized for over two weeks. Jim took Lucky for his evening walk faithfully, but the little dog just drooped, whining and miserable.
Finally the day came for Mary to leave the hospital. When she arrived home, Mary was so exhausted she couldn't even make it up the steps to her bedroom. Jim made his wife comfortable on the couch and left her to nap.
Lucky stood watching Mary but he didn't come to her when she called. It made Mary sad, but sleep soon overcame her and she dozed.
When Mary woke for a second she couldn't understand what was wrong. She couldn't move her head and her body. It felt heavy and hot. But panic soon gave way to laughter when Mary realized the problem. She was covered, literally blanketed, with every treasure Lucky owned! While she had slept, the sorrowing dog had made trip after trip to the basement bringing his beloved mistress all his favorite things in life. He had covered her with his love. Mary forgot about dying. Instead, she and Lucky began living again, walking further and further together every day. It's been 12 years now and Mary is still cancer-free. Lucky still steals treasures and stashes them in his toy box, but Mary remains his greatest treasure.
Remember, live every day to the fullest. Each minute is a blessing from God. And never forget that the people who make a difference in our lives are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care for us.
If you see someone without a smile today, give them one of yours! Live simply. Love seriously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.
You become what you think about most of the time. The most important part of each day is what you think about at the beginning of the day.
The first hour sets the tone for the rest of the day. The things that you do in the first 30—60 minutes prepare your mind and set you up for the entire day. Thank God for what he is doing in your life. Take time to think and review your plans. Picture the completion of your daily goals.
Now you are ready to face the world and make it a productive day!
Editor's note: Be sure to start your day with God.
Brian Tracy [Paraphrased]. Source Thought for Today by Ray Lammie. To subscribe send a blank email to: RIL3@aol.com
By Michael Josephson of Character Counts (616.2), April 27, 2009
When John Wooden, the legendary basketball coach, referred to the last game he "ever taught," he was asked about this phrasing. He said a coach is first and foremost a teacher who should not only improve his players' athletic skills but help them become better people. He was a superb teacher whose lasting influence is reflected in the values he instilled, not the championships he won.
Henry Adams said, "Teachers affect all eternity." As those who are taught teach others, a teacher's legacy grows. Sadly, the way we select and reward schoolteachers and coaches shows how much we undervalue their crucial roles in shaping the character and destiny of our children.
But even worse, we tend to forget that the most important teachers are parents. Good child-rearing involves more than providing food, shelter, and education. It should also instill good values and habits, teach right from wrong, and show how to make good decisions that are both effective and ethical.
Yes, it's important to help kids become smart and competent, but as Teddy Roosevelt said, "To educate a person in the mind but not the morals is to educate a menace to society." Parents need to assure that their children have the tools to lead truly good lives with purpose and meaning and value. That means we need to teach, enforce, advocate, and model the best we want our children to be.
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts
Paul the Apostle wrote, "For...the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing."1
"Down the streets of Portsmouth more than two hundred years ago," said Lt. General Ira C. Eaker in a speech given some time ago, "walked a sailor with one arm, one eye, and a persistent state of nerves and unable to tread a ship's deck without being seasick. Indeed he would probably have been in a home for incurables were his name not Admiral Lord Nelson. The man's spirit drove the flesh."
Born in 1758, Horatio Nelson, the son of a pastor, was a small, frail child who loved sailing. As a young teenager he joined the British navy and, while journeying to the East Indies, caught a fever that seriously damaged his health. But he never allowed this to hold him back. At age 18 he was appointed a lieutenant in the Royal Navy and by the year 1802 was made commander-in-chief of the British fleet.
Two years later, at the Battle of Trafalgar, Nelson defeated the combined French and Spanish fleets. This was the greatest naval victory in British history and left the British in control of the seas for the rest of the 1800s. Unfortunately, Nelson was mortally wounded during Trafalgar but lived long enough to know that his fleet had won the battle. His last words were, "Thank God I have done my duty."
Nelson was a man of fearless courage and devotion. He believed in his country, in his cause, and in himself. He proved this with his words and more so with his life. He once said, "I am of the opinion that the boldest measures are the safest." Nelson was a man greatly admired by others who said about him, "His frail body housed a great spirit."
John Stuart Mill would agree. He said, "One person with a belief is equal to a force of ninety-nine who only have interest."2
No matter what your limitations or your handicaps are, God has a plan and purpose for your life. Believe it and you will receive it. Act on it and you will achieve it and like the Apostle Paul you, too, will be able to say, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, help me to so believe and live that when I come to the end of life's journey, I too will be able to say, 'Thank God that I have done my duty.' Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."
1. 2 Timothy 4:6-8 (NIV).
2. Adapted from "The Power of Belief" by Dick Innes at http://tinyurl.com/79peh.
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